FCC 2 TXT U 4 Emergencies

April 12, 2008 in FCC

As if enough annoying people you don’t want to communicate with don’t already text you, call you, AIM you, Twitter you and (insert communication medium) you enough, the FCC wants to “hollerz at you” as well.

The idea is fundamentally a good one. The FCC would appoint a federal agency to disseminate information regarding three categories of emergencies:

  1. Disasters such as a terrorist attack. We get it. Stupendous. This could prove invaluable. From 9/11 to the Virginia Tech shootings… you can see and understand why this would be a fabulous program that could save plenty of lives.
  2. Ongoing threats like hurricanes and earthquakes. Also makes sense… to a degree. I understand they can disperse these messages regionally and based on GPS location but if I get a text message every time there are high winds, tornado watches or hurricane alerts they are going to have to send out a Disaster TXT out via the FCC because people will go on shooting rampages out of pure anger.
  3. Child abductions or Amber Alerts. We’re guessing they could also employ this category for “wanted criminals” who somehow are on the loose in a designated area. Within time they’ll probably text you a picture of the wanted criminal so you can keep a look out. This is also a perfectly fine idea TO A DEGREE.

The FCC will allow you to opt out of the program but to what degree? I’d like to know if there is a terrorist organization within a few blocks from my house shooting people at random but I’m not particularly excited about getting Amber Alerts every few hours. Can you opt out of some but not others? Can you set a level of communication such as Low, Medium, High?

How the FCC implements this will be interesting to follow. If they allow various degrees of communication and participation it could be a hit and well worth the concept. If it is an all or nothing deal it could be an epic failure.

Here is the news release directly from the FCC.gov website:

FCC ADOPTS RULES FOR DELIVERY OF COMMERCIAL MOBILE ALERTS

TO THE PUBLIC DURING EMERGENCIES

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today adopted a First Report and Order (Order) that will support the ability of the nation’s wireless carriers to transmit timely and accurate alerts, warnings and critical information to the cell phones and other mobile devices of consumers during disasters or other emergencies.

In compliance with the Warning, Alert and Response Network Act (WARN Act), today’s Order adopts relevant technical requirements based on the recommendations of the Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee (CMSAAC) for the transmission of such emergency messages to the public.

During emergencies, Americans increasingly rely on wireless telecommunications services and devices to receive critical, time-sensitive information anywhere, anytime. Once fully implemented, the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) will help ensure that Americans who subscribe to participating wireless services receive emergency alerts when there is a disaster or emergency that may impact their lives or well-being.

Wireless carriers that choose to participate in the CMAS will transmit text-based alerts to their subscribers. As technology evolves, the CMAS may eventually include audio and video services to transmit emergency alerts to the public. To ensure that people with disabilities who subscribe to wireless services receive these emergency alerts, the FCC adopted rules that will require wireless carriers who participate in the CMAS to transmit messages with both vibration cadence and audio attention signals.

Consumers can expect to receive three types of messages via their cell phones and other mobile devices from participating wireless carriers, including:

· Presidential Alerts - national emergency-related alerts delivered to the American public that would preempt any other pending alerts;

· Imminent Threat Alerts - alerts with information on emergencies that may pose an imminent risk to people’s lives or well-being; and

· Child Abduction Emergency/AMBER Alerts - alerts related to missing or endangered children due to an abduction or runaway situation.

Under the CMAS, subscribers to wireless services with roaming agreements will receive timely alerts, provided the subscriber’s mobile device is configured for, and technically capable of, receiving such emergency alerts from the network they are roaming on.

Participating wireless carriers will be required to comply with the rules adopted in the Order today within 10 months from the date of announcement that a Federal agency has been designated to collect and transmit the alerts to the wireless carriers.

Action by the Commission, April 9, 2008, by Commercial Mobile Alert Service First Report and Order (FCC 08-99). Chairman Martin, and Commissioners Copps, Adelstein, Tate and McDowell. Separate Statements issued by Chairman Martin, and Commissioners Copps, Adelstein, Tate and McDowell. PS Docket No. 07-287.

Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) contact is Lisa Fowlkes, Deputy Bureau Chief, at (202) 418-7452.

[via EngadgetMobile]

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